The Thing

Stalked by a shape-shifting, DNA-infiltrating alien on their Antarctic base, Kurt Russell and company dissolve into mutual suspicion and distrust. The beast could be inside any of them, so you have to shoot your pal—or incinerate him with a flame thrower—without hesitation to save your own skin. John Carpenter's 1982 The Thing is a reverse guys-on-a-mission flick, where unit cohesion falters and leader turns against crew. It's morning in America, and utter darkness at the South Pole. (R) BRIAN MILLER